Taylor Powell
Speaker at SOUTHEAST: Taylor Powell, Chief Operating Officer, Industrial Motor Service inc.
Speaker at SOUTHEAST: Taylor Powell, Chief Operating Officer, Industrial Motor Service inc.
Speaker at SOUTHEAST: Sherry Bolds, Plant Controller, Dimontonate USA
SOUTHEAST Session: This Executive Perspectives Keynote Series session will begin with a keynote focused on Michelin North America’s workforce development strategies including the company’s unique Talent Campus program. The keynote will be followed by a panel discussion with workforce development leaders from the state of South Carolina, the South Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership (SCMEP), and Industrial Motor Service, Inc. Moderated by: Andy Carr, SC MEP
Speaker at SOUTHEAST: Sarah DePeri, South Carolina APEX Manager, South Carolina APEX Accelerator
Speaker at SOUTHEAST: Jasmine Kennedy, Procurement Counselor, South Carolina APEX Accelerator
SOUTHEAST Session: Manufacturers performing visual inspections on their products have historically had two options: perform the inspection manually, or program a rule-based vision system. Both of these options are slow, inflexible, and costly to maintain. However, as Graphical Processing Units (GPUs) have become more powerful, a third approach has become available: deep learning. Deep learning-based vision systems learn directly from annotated images to perform inference on images. They offer numerous advantages including rapid deployment, greater detection flexibility, and lower development and acquisition costs. They are also easily retrained and reconfigured with minimal to no programming. As such, they represent a massive opportunity to automate quality inspection for small to medium sized manufacturers. In this presentation, we will discuss the technology that enables AI-based computer vision, the advantages they provide, use cases, and how to best implement them. Attendees will walk away with a clear understanding of where deep learning fits into their operation and how to get started with the right tools and strategy.
Speaker at SOUTHEAST: Rob Sims, Founder & CTO, Alchemi Data Management, Inc.
SOUTHEAST Session: "The Manufacturing Leader's Playbook for Surviving Tariffs, Taxes, and Tech Turm," explores strategies for mitigating the effects of taxes and tariffs on manufacturing businesses through the use of modern business software. It covers key financial and operational factors such as OBBA, tariffs, and technology, highlighting how these elements impact R&D credits, clean energy credits, bonus depreciation, and potential savings. The presentation also delves into the benefits of ERP software, emphasizing the need for high-quality data ingestion, cost accounting, supplier diversification, customer prioritization, and predictive analytics to enhance profitability and market share. Additionally, it provides an example of a modern ERP platform and discusses the integration of Acumatica Manufacturing ERP, which combines financials, planning, and scheduling to support diverse manufacturing strategies and deliver real-time insights.
SOUTHEAST Session: In today's highly competitive manufacturing landscape, operational efficiency is more critical than ever. Yet, excessive energy consumption and unplanned downtime remain major challenges, significantly impacting productivity and costs. Traditional maintenance strategies often fail to address the root causes of inefficiencies, leading to unnecessary energy waste and unexpected failures. This session explores Energy-Centered Maintenance (ECM)—a data-driven, AI-powered approach that goes beyond conventional reliability-centered maintenance by integrating energy efficiency as a key decision-making factor. By leveraging advanced IoT sensors, AI-driven analytics, and real-time machine health monitoring, manufacturers can proactively detect faults, minimize energy loss, and extend asset life. Through real-world case studies and industry insights, attendees will learn how ECM enables manufacturers to reduce operational expenses, prevent unplanned downtime, and achieve sustainability goals—all without compromising productivity. The session will also highlight how machine learning and AI-driven predictive analytics help manufacturers make smarter maintenance decisions, optimizing energy use while ensuring equipment reliability. Whether you're looking to cut energy costs, enhance machine uptime, or align with Industry 4.0 and sustainability initiatives, this session will provide practical takeaways to help you transform your maintenance strategy. Learning Objectives Understand the limitations of traditional maintenance strategies and how excessive energy waste and unexpected downtime impact manufacturing costs and efficiency. Explore the principles of Energy-Centered Maintenance (ECM) and how AI-driven predictive analytics can optimize machine performance, reduce energy waste, and prevent costly breakdowns.
SOUTHEAST Session: